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Stop everything you're doing because we just found the world's cutest cat species! Meet caracals, or to be more specific, baby caracals! These beautiful creatures have been religiously significant to the ancient Egyptians. They appear in their paintings, bronze figurines, whereas their sculptures were believed to guard the tombs of pharaohs.
Caracals live in Africa, the Middle East and The Indian subcontinent. Adults can weigh as much as 18kgs (40lbs), they can run at speeds of up to 50mph, and they can kill a grown man with their cuteness (ok, so maybe we made that last bit up). Caracals can be easily domesticated and even kept as pets. However, it may be illegal in some countries, so double-check before you decide to get one of these cuties!
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#5
Peter Kovak 9 years ago
You'd rather not Nora. Let us lieve them live in the wild, far from the destroying human touch. Please think again before getting such a "pet".
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Lynne Boreham 9 years ago
Maybe you should have none and leave them in the wild where they belong.
Nora Elisabeth 9 years ago
Never intended to own them literally. "Having one" can also mean sponsor one or two in a wild reserve... but in my case it was just an expression of how super cute they are. <3 Let me copy that here too...
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Angelli Sophia 9 years ago
caracals, as all wild animals, are not pets, we better strive to protect their natural habitat instead of thinking how cute will be to have such a 'companion' at home
Heather Anderson 9 years ago
Thats the problem though. Humans are destroying their habitat.
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Dana Busatto 9 years ago
Please leave wild animals be... we don't have the right to take them into our homes and call them ours. 😞
#15
Gail Potgieter 8 years ago
To the person in the photo holding this caracal - why did you need to have a wild cat as a pet? There are more than enough domestic cats to go around. Do NOT keep caracals as pets!
#22
Gail Potgieter 8 years ago
Caracals should not be kept as pets. This one is clearly indoors. Do NOT get one as a pet!
#26
Gail Potgieter 8 years ago
To the person in this photo: what happened to the mother of this kitten? The pet trade is terrible - only domestic cats should be pets.
#31
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Sheila Mackie 9 years ago
Beautiful, but to say that they can be easily domesticated & kept as pets is promoting wildlife trafficking. Why can't we just admire wild animals when just "captured" with a long lens instead of needing to cage & own them.
Hans 9 years ago
Cute yes...but obviously vicious. I googled a bit and read an article. These fluffballs obviously slay goats and similarly sized animals, and they also do "surpluss kills", i.e. hunt more than they would need for food if they get the chance to. On the other hand, they themselves seem to be hunted a lot. Quite interesting reads. Thus: very cute, but I hope people will not consider to make these animals pets...
Shana 9 years ago
People want to domesticate everything and are then surprised if/when it goes wrong at some point. So many animals are adorable but some are just not supposed to be pets.
Load More Replies...
Heather Anderson 9 years ago
A lot of "domesticated" animals aren't domesticated. Instead they are housed by people who understand their needs and work to make them as comfortable as possible. It's kind of how people keep foxes and wolf hybrids as pets. Yes there are people that think "this is a really cool breed. I want one" without doing any research and that does harm the animals. My advice with any exotic animals is take a few years when deciding to get one and research and plan ahead. Just like with normal house cats and dogs all of their personalitys are different and one will not be the same as others Sometimes the need to "domesticate" them comes from the fact that in the wild they are becoming extinct.
Harriet Merkel 9 years ago
Caracals are wild animals. The are NOT pets! People who have tried to domesticate them end up with a dangerous animal on their hands. In addition, because they are wild creatures, they can and do spray everything with urine - all the time - whether spayed or neutered - whether male or female. It is blatantly irresponsible to suggest they can or should be domesticated. For further information, I suggest you visit bigcatrescue.com. You can learn why you should never, ever keep a wild cat as a pet, or support any type of wild animal show, or pose for photos with any wild cub or adult cat (pay for play). Please educate yourselves on the damage these abuses (and make no mistake - they ARE abuses) do to, not only captive wild cats, but free ones as well.
Ana Nieto 9 years ago
Oh yes beautiful kittens... BUT i have seen grown a*s adult Caracals and they are wild!!! i wouldn't have one of those as a pet even if someone gift one to me!
They are not cats as such, they are wild felines and they should NOT be kept as pet. I love cats and felines but i think is very irresponsible for Bore Panda to encourage keeping a wild animal as a pet
Look what does beautiful kittens will grown to be, and think again if you really would want one in your house..... Caracal-ca...cc78f2.jpg 
Katinka Min 9 years ago
Keeping wild animals as pets is idiotic - and fortunately illegal in most civilized countries. WE DON'T NEED TO OWN EVERYTHING WE LIKE. Sorry for shouting but this boundless materialism drives me crazy! And the lack of information isn't helping. Hans did the research already, so I don't need to bother. And I'm happy to see the comments are mostly very sensible.
Katinka Min 9 years ago
eta: I meant to write 'the lack of information in the post'. And thanks, Hans, for researching this.
Load More Replies...
Tania Kühl 9 years ago
These are NOT pets. They are wild animals and should be left in the wild.
Joanne Palmer 9 years ago
Caracals do not make good house pets and anyone who say's they do obviously do not appreciate the animal for the natural essence & wild beauty!!
Gerrit-Jan Gommer 9 years ago
I would not call them pets. Owning one is prohibited in the Netherlands. Only zoo's and specialized shelters may get an exemption.
Nina Stewart 9 years ago
Wild adult cats are killed in the den to take their babies at a day or 2 old to "feed" the pet trade. These animals are not meant to be domesticated and to state they can be is both irresponsible and misleading. There are hundreds of thousands of domesticated house cats looking for homes...I would suggest someone wanting a cat start there. ALL CATS have their own brand of charm. Leave the wild cats where they belong....IN THE WILD!!
AnnieLaurie Burke 9 years ago
Caracals have always been one of my favorites! But, there are so many beautiful small wildcats that are endangered, and many could disappear before most people are even aware they exist. The endangered big cats get most of the attention, but they all need and deserve our protection.
Loki Placenta 9 years ago
Please don't advocate keeping a wild animal as a pet.... really, what is this?
Phillipe Knippel 9 years ago
Its a WILD cat, not a pet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ilia Ralic 9 years ago
the author is suggesting to get a wild animal at home and its still unedited?????????????????????????
Michelle Godwin 8 years ago
they are adorable and would love to have one, but I do not want to promote wildlife trafficking. loves-wher...75a98b.jpg 
Marion Friedl 8 years ago
@BigCatRescue : " Caracals can be easily domesticated and even kept as pets.", so says the text, WHAT THE CAT??? Caracals´re wild cats and should NOT be kept as pets!!! 🤬🤬🤬
Lee Hunter Durbin 8 years ago
SHAME ON YOU for promoting the possession of these WILD ANIMALS! Yes, they are CUTE, VERY CUTE, but then so are baby lions and tigers, but you wouldn't bring on those into your home would you? You left out the part about them spraying and destroying your home because of their natural instincts.....if you want a cat, then RESCUE a domestic, there are MILLIONS of them out there waiting for good homes. These babies are snatched away from their mothers and suffer lifelong problems because of it. You need to promote the conservation of their habitats NOT the possession of them!
Janet Torri 8 years ago
Totally agree!! Caracals are wild cats and should stay in the wild!!
Load More Replies... 
Constance Château 9 years ago
Bobcats are WILD ANIMALS who should live in the WILD : WHY BREED THEM IN CAPTIVITY???
Tracy Moorhead 9 years ago
I'd just like to know, are they really soft? Where have they been, I've never heard of a Caracal, and do we need to domesticate them, are they not safe in the wild? So many questions! I do want to touch one, however, I've said that about Lions and Tigers and Bears too! So far no luck!
Jaco Smit 9 years ago
These cats as vicious fully grown, able to kill a sheep or small antelope. They are nocturnal and very skittish. I have yet to see one in the wild on our annual trips to the Kruger National Park, going on these for almost 30 years now. Fully grown males will be around 50 to 60cm (24" for the imperials) and will be able to jump up to 2.5m high. In my honest opinion, they are *not* house pets and there is a saying "You can take the monkey out of the jungle but you can't take the jungle out of the monkey". A wild animal will always be a wild animal unless it can be successfully bred in captivity for a few generations.
Mat Es 9 years ago
It is an African cat so domestacation... I dont know...I live in Europe and we have these cute little cats it is called Rys . images-57f...413077.jpg 
Kaypie 9 years ago
This looks like a South African 'Rooikat' (Red-cat)... I would definitely not want one of these in my house if you see what they are capable of in the wild.
Kaypie 9 years ago
Ah ok, just did a bit of research and I see a Caracal=Rooikat, yeah I wouldn't trust one of those.
Load More Replies...
Notchimine Mette 9 years ago
I know them as "Rooikat", directly translated it means "red cat". Gorgeous...
Jasmine Frew Chavaco 5 years ago
i loved it i even followed!!! There just so cute i just can't refuse to look at them
Sheila Mackie 9 years ago
Beautiful, but to say that they can be easily domesticated & kept as pets is promoting wildlife trafficking. Why can't we just admire wild animals when just "captured" with a long lens instead of needing to cage & own them.
Hans 9 years ago
Cute yes...but obviously vicious. I googled a bit and read an article. These fluffballs obviously slay goats and similarly sized animals, and they also do "surpluss kills", i.e. hunt more than they would need for food if they get the chance to. On the other hand, they themselves seem to be hunted a lot. Quite interesting reads. Thus: very cute, but I hope people will not consider to make these animals pets...
Shana 9 years ago
People want to domesticate everything and are then surprised if/when it goes wrong at some point. So many animals are adorable but some are just not supposed to be pets.
Load More Replies... Heather Anderson 9 years ago
A lot of "domesticated" animals aren't domesticated. Instead they are housed by people who understand their needs and work to make them as comfortable as possible. It's kind of how people keep foxes and wolf hybrids as pets. Yes there are people that think "this is a really cool breed. I want one" without doing any research and that does harm the animals. My advice with any exotic animals is take a few years when deciding to get one and research and plan ahead. Just like with normal house cats and dogs all of their personalitys are different and one will not be the same as others Sometimes the need to "domesticate" them comes from the fact that in the wild they are becoming extinct.
Harriet Merkel 9 years ago
Caracals are wild animals. The are NOT pets! People who have tried to domesticate them end up with a dangerous animal on their hands. In addition, because they are wild creatures, they can and do spray everything with urine - all the time - whether spayed or neutered - whether male or female. It is blatantly irresponsible to suggest they can or should be domesticated. For further information, I suggest you visit bigcatrescue.com. You can learn why you should never, ever keep a wild cat as a pet, or support any type of wild animal show, or pose for photos with any wild cub or adult cat (pay for play). Please educate yourselves on the damage these abuses (and make no mistake - they ARE abuses) do to, not only captive wild cats, but free ones as well.
Ana Nieto 9 years ago
Oh yes beautiful kittens... BUT i have seen grown a*s adult Caracals and they are wild!!! i wouldn't have one of those as a pet even if someone gift one to me!
They are not cats as such, they are wild felines and they should NOT be kept as pet. I love cats and felines but i think is very irresponsible for Bore Panda to encourage keeping a wild animal as a pet
Look what does beautiful kittens will grown to be, and think again if you really would want one in your house..... Caracal-ca...cc78f2.jpg
Katinka Min 9 years ago
Keeping wild animals as pets is idiotic - and fortunately illegal in most civilized countries. WE DON'T NEED TO OWN EVERYTHING WE LIKE. Sorry for shouting but this boundless materialism drives me crazy! And the lack of information isn't helping. Hans did the research already, so I don't need to bother. And I'm happy to see the comments are mostly very sensible.
Katinka Min 9 years ago
eta: I meant to write 'the lack of information in the post'. And thanks, Hans, for researching this.
Load More Replies... Tania Kühl 9 years ago
These are NOT pets. They are wild animals and should be left in the wild.
Joanne Palmer 9 years ago
Caracals do not make good house pets and anyone who say's they do obviously do not appreciate the animal for the natural essence & wild beauty!!
Gerrit-Jan Gommer 9 years ago
I would not call them pets. Owning one is prohibited in the Netherlands. Only zoo's and specialized shelters may get an exemption.
Nina Stewart 9 years ago
Wild adult cats are killed in the den to take their babies at a day or 2 old to "feed" the pet trade. These animals are not meant to be domesticated and to state they can be is both irresponsible and misleading. There are hundreds of thousands of domesticated house cats looking for homes...I would suggest someone wanting a cat start there. ALL CATS have their own brand of charm. Leave the wild cats where they belong....IN THE WILD!!
AnnieLaurie Burke 9 years ago
Caracals have always been one of my favorites! But, there are so many beautiful small wildcats that are endangered, and many could disappear before most people are even aware they exist. The endangered big cats get most of the attention, but they all need and deserve our protection.
Loki Placenta 9 years ago
Please don't advocate keeping a wild animal as a pet.... really, what is this?
Phillipe Knippel 9 years ago
Its a WILD cat, not a pet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ilia Ralic 9 years ago
the author is suggesting to get a wild animal at home and its still unedited?????????????????????????
Michelle Godwin 8 years ago
they are adorable and would love to have one, but I do not want to promote wildlife trafficking. loves-wher...75a98b.jpg
Marion Friedl 8 years ago
@BigCatRescue : " Caracals can be easily domesticated and even kept as pets.", so says the text, WHAT THE CAT??? Caracals´re wild cats and should NOT be kept as pets!!! 🤬🤬🤬
Lee Hunter Durbin 8 years ago
SHAME ON YOU for promoting the possession of these WILD ANIMALS! Yes, they are CUTE, VERY CUTE, but then so are baby lions and tigers, but you wouldn't bring on those into your home would you? You left out the part about them spraying and destroying your home because of their natural instincts.....if you want a cat, then RESCUE a domestic, there are MILLIONS of them out there waiting for good homes. These babies are snatched away from their mothers and suffer lifelong problems because of it. You need to promote the conservation of their habitats NOT the possession of them!
Janet Torri 8 years ago
Totally agree!! Caracals are wild cats and should stay in the wild!!
Load More Replies... Constance Château 9 years ago
Bobcats are WILD ANIMALS who should live in the WILD : WHY BREED THEM IN CAPTIVITY???
Tracy Moorhead 9 years ago
I'd just like to know, are they really soft? Where have they been, I've never heard of a Caracal, and do we need to domesticate them, are they not safe in the wild? So many questions! I do want to touch one, however, I've said that about Lions and Tigers and Bears too! So far no luck!
Jaco Smit 9 years ago
These cats as vicious fully grown, able to kill a sheep or small antelope. They are nocturnal and very skittish. I have yet to see one in the wild on our annual trips to the Kruger National Park, going on these for almost 30 years now. Fully grown males will be around 50 to 60cm (24" for the imperials) and will be able to jump up to 2.5m high. In my honest opinion, they are *not* house pets and there is a saying "You can take the monkey out of the jungle but you can't take the jungle out of the monkey". A wild animal will always be a wild animal unless it can be successfully bred in captivity for a few generations.
Mat Es 9 years ago
It is an African cat so domestacation... I dont know...I live in Europe and we have these cute little cats it is called Rys . images-57f...413077.jpg
Kaypie 9 years ago
This looks like a South African 'Rooikat' (Red-cat)... I would definitely not want one of these in my house if you see what they are capable of in the wild.
Kaypie 9 years ago
Ah ok, just did a bit of research and I see a Caracal=Rooikat, yeah I wouldn't trust one of those.
Load More Replies... Notchimine Mette 9 years ago
I know them as "Rooikat", directly translated it means "red cat". Gorgeous...
Jasmine Frew Chavaco 5 years ago
i loved it i even followed!!! There just so cute i just can't refuse to look at them
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